Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-12-07

But our Present terln laws. me various in
equitable and Illegal source OF unnecessary tax
alton, ought to be at once revised and amended.
These laws, as their primary plain effect.raise
the price to consumers of all articles imported
ana subject 10 duty, by precisely the sum paid for
such duties. Thus the amount of the duty meas
ures the tax paid by those who purchase for use
these imported articles Many of these things
however, are raised or manufactured in our own
country, and the duties now levied upon foreign
goods and products are called protection to these
home manufacturer because they render it pos
sible for those of our people who are manufact-
urers to make these taxed articles and sell them
for price equal to that demanded for the i'm
ported goods that have paid customs duty Soit
few the imported articles,
Inillions of our people, who never use and mover
saw any OF the foreign products, purchase and
use things OF the same kind made in this coun-
try and pay therefor nearly or quite the same
enhanced price which the duty adds to the I'M
ported articles. Those who buy imports pay
the duty charged thereon into the public treas
ury, but the great majority of our citizens who
buy domestic articles of the same class pay d
sum at least approximately equal to Il is duty TO
the home manufacturers. This refert nee to the
operation Of our tariff laws is not male by way
OF instruction, but in order that we may be con-
stantly reminded OF the manner in which they
impose burden upon those who consume do
nestle products Ms Well rs those who consume
imported articles and thus create a tax upon all
our people.
1t is not proposed to entirely relieve the coun-
try OF this taxation. Itmust be extensively con-
tnued as the source of the governments income;
and in q REIMBURSEMENT of our tariff the interests
of American labor engaged III manufacture
should be carefully considered, as well as the
pre- servation of our manufactures. 1t may be
called protection, or by any other name but ro-
lief from the har1ships and dangers of our pres
.nf tariff laws should be devised with especial
pre- autien against imperiling the existence of
our aanufacturiug interests. But this existence
sh aid ntt mesn Il condition which. without re-
lard to the public welfare or national eNlgency,
must always insure the realization Of immense
profits instead Of moderately profitable returns.
As the volume and diversity of our national ae-
tivities increase new recruits are added to those
who desire continuation of the advantages
which they conceive the present system OF
tariff taxation directly affords them. So stub
borily ha ce all efforts to reform the present
dtion been resisted by those OF our feltow-citl-
thus engaged, that they can hardly coIn-
plain Of the suspicion, entertained to Il certain
extent, that there exists an organized combina-
ton all along the line to maintain their I'D van
tage.
We are in the midst Of centennial celebrations,
and with becoming pride we rejoice i'll American
skill and ingenuity, in American energy and en-
terprise, and in the wonderful natural advau-
| tages and resources developed by a century's
| national growth. Yet when an attempt is made
| to lustifya scheme which permits a tax to be
laid upon every consumer IN the land for the ben
| EMIT OF our manufacturers quite beyond rea-
sonEble demand for governmental regard, it suits
| the purposes of the manufacturers and infant
| degree of favor and care that can be wrung from
federal legislation. 1t is also said that the in
crease in the price of domestic manufactures
resulting from the present tariff is in
der tiiat higher wages may be paid than for what
| is called pauper labor i'll Europe. In all cases We
| acknowledge The force of argument which III
| wolves the welfare ana liberal compensation Of
| our laboring people. Our labor is honorable III
| the eyes of every American citizen and lies ut
| the foundation Of our development; it is entitled
| without afectation or hypocrisy to the utmost
| regard. The stapiHrd oi orr lahurer's life should
not be measured by that OF another country less
favored, and they are entitled 70 their fun share
of our advantages.
By the last census it is made to appear that of
the L, 392, O99 OF our population engaged in all
kinds OF industries so 1913 employed in agri-
| culture, 4U7i.22S in professional and personal
Services = 4a9 SIT of whom are domestic servants
and laborersl. while l,Slh,256 are Employed in
trade and transportation, and 1881 liz are
classed us employed at manufacturing and min
ing. For present purposes however, the latter
number should be considerably reduced. Without
attempting to erumerste all. it will be conceded
that there should be deducted from those which
il includes 80 ~ carpenters and luners, 2j lIO
millners, dress makers and seaInstresses, l72 l2o
blaeksrniths, i33 80 talors and talloresses, l0,
0UO masuus, rs al butchers, 4lSg bakers, q lS2
plasterers and 4sOl manufacturing agricultural
implements leaving ,623, Ge9 persons employed in
such manufacturing Industries us are claimed
| to be benefited IN a high tariff.
To these the appeal Is ma de TO save their en-
| plovmeut aui maintain their wages by resisting
change There should be no disposition to En
swer such suggestions by the allegations that
/ they in minority among those who
| labor and therefore should foEego an advantage
| in the interest of low prices for the maj rity
! Their compenss ton. AS it may be affected by
| the operations OF tariff laws. should at ali times
| be scrupulOuslg kept IN view and yet with
slight reflection they will not overlook the fact
that they are CONSUMERS with the rest; thai
they too have their NE wants and those of then
families TO supply from nolT earnings, and ths
NJ II
amount of those wants Will regulate the measure
of their welfare and comfort. But the reduction
of taxation demenden s. onld be so measured n
not 70 necesststa OF justify either the loss o
employment by the WukIncmHn nor the lessen
ing of his wages aud The profits still remaining
TO the manufacturer after necessary readIust
ment should furnish no excuse for the sacrifice
of the interests OF his employers in either thei
opportunity to work or the diminution Of thei
compensation Nor the worker in manu-
features fail 60 understand that while
nigh tariff is claimed to be necessRr
to allow payment of remunerative wages
it certainly results in very large IL
crease in the price of nearly all sorts O
| manufactures, which. in almost countless forms
| he needs for the use OF himself and bis family
| He receives Mt the desk OF his employer hi
| wages, and perhaps before he reaches his hom
is obliged i'll purchase for his family use OF 81
article which embraces his own labor to retur
in the payment Of the increasing price which
the tariff permits the hard-earned compensation
OF many days OF toll.
facture nothing. but who pay the increase
price which the tariff imposes upon every ayr
cultural implement, upon all he wears and upo
all ne and owns, except the increase of hi
hocks and herds and such things his hui
bandry produces from the soil, is invited to nj
in maintaining the present situation mind, he
told that hlph duty on imported WOO Is necei
shry for the ben MT II those who have sheep
shear in order that the price OF their wool ma
be increased. Ihey, of course are not rennde
that the farmer Who has no sheep Is by thi
scheme obliged, III his purc bases OF clothing an
WOODEN goods, II pay tribute Ia his fellow
farmer IS well as 10 the manufacturer and me-
chant nor is any mention made of the fact this
the sheep ovusIs themselves and their hons
holds must weqr clothing and use other article
manufactured from the wool they sell at tart
prices. and thus consumers, must return the
share of this increased price to the tradesman
think il may he fairly assumed that large pr
portion Of the sheep owned by the fRrme
throughout the country are found in small flocl
numbering from twenty-five TO hft
The duty on the grade OF in
ported wool which these sheep yield is I0cen
on each pound if Of the value Of 80 cents or les
and Il cents If of the value of more than 30 cent
II the liberal estimate Of six pounds be above
, for each fleece, the duty thereon would be 60
, 70 cents, and this may be taken the utmost e.
, hancement Of its price to the farmer by reasd
.. of this duty. Eighteen dollars would thus repr
sent the increased price of the wool from twent
five sheep and $50 that from the wool of fit
sheep; and at present values this addition wou
amount to about one third of its price II upc
Its sale the farmer receives this or less tart
profit, the wool leaves his hands charged vii
precisely that sum, which in all its changes wi
, adhere to it, until it reaches the consume
, When manufactured into cloth and other Dot
and material f1r use, its cost is not only increase
, to the extent OF the farmers tariff profit, but
further sum has been added for the benefit of Il
, manufacturer under the operation OF other tart
laws.
In the meantime the day arrives when IL
farmer finds it necessary to purchase woolt
, goods and material to clothe himself and famil
for the winter. When he faces the tradesma
for that purpose, he discovers that he is oblige
, not only to return in the way Of increased price
his tariff profit on the wool he sold, and whiC
then perhaps lies before him in manufacture
form, but that he must add considerable SUI
thereto To meet further increase in cost cause
! by Il tariff duty on the manufacture. Thus
= the end, he is aroused to the fact that he hi
paid upon moderate purchase as result
, the tariff scheme which when he sold his woo
seemed so profitable an increase in price mo-
= than sufficient to sweep away all the tariff prof
he received upon the wool he produced III
a, sold
: When the number of farmers engaged in wo
raising is compared with all the farmers in Il
! country, and the small proportion they bear
= our population is considered when it is mac
l apparent that, in the case of large part of tho
: who own sheep the benefit of the present tari
on wool is iliusory and above all when it mu
= be conceded that the increase Of the cost OF Ii
. Ing caused by such tariff becomes burden upc
those with moderate means, and the poor I'll
employer and the unemployed the sick al
4 well, and the young and old, and that it const
= tutes a tax which, with relentless grasp is fas
! ened upon the clothing of every man. wome
and child in the land, reasons are suggested VII
the removal or reduction of this duty should |
o included ina revision of our tariff laws.
B In speaking of the increased cost to the col
% sumner of our home manufactures resulting frol